


the meaning of value

by Splintered_Star



Series: octopath characters [3]
Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Cultural Differences, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-18 15:51:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20641727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Splintered_Star/pseuds/Splintered_Star
Summary: Outsiders never understand the nature of hunter and partner. Some days, it bothers H'annit more than usual.(Tressa learns quickly, though.)





	the meaning of value

Tressa is…. When she thinks of it, H’annit is not sure if she /is/ a child or merely has the enthusiasm of one.

Nevertheless, she has her skills and doubtless be helpful as they travel. And it is clear that the girl is determined for adventure in any case, and H’aanit finds herself unwilling to let the – child, whatever her age – wander off alone.

She is not as obvious as Cyrus, at least. She is aware that there are dangers in the world, even if her response is one of excitement rather than fear.

(Later, H’aanit will find out she and Tressa are nearly of age, though she never quite believes it.)

Quietly, H’aanit mourns, though for no reason that she names, quiet hours spent travelling alone with Ophilia. Maybe it is merely the silence she misses – Tressa comments on /everything/. Cyrus fields most of her questions, thankfully –

Most of them, at least.

“Wooooow.” Tressa coos over Linde, who suffers the attention with dignity and the occasional tail flick. “She’s incredible! How much did she cost?”

At first H’aanit cannot parse the question, and only registers Cyrus hissing in warning. Then –

“Cost- she is not /property/!” Tressa stares at her, alarmed, as if she hadn’t just –

H’aanit takes a deep breath, lets it out, and goes to walk the perimeter of the area.

She is so tired of people making assumptions.

Outsiders assume things about us, her master warned her when she was young. They think us wild savages, barely human – fae or beast or both. They do not understand they bond between hunter and partner. They think the wild is something that can be tamed, that beasts are lesser, things to be owned.

She should be used to this. She doesn’t know why this hurts, when Cyrus’ ignorance was merely an annoyance.

It was an insult to her, that she would enslave a being against its will. It was an insult to Linde, that she would need a keeper. It was –

H’aanit pauses, and realizes that she is having trouble breathing through her tight throat. She realizes like a cracking branch that she misses home, her people who understand her and respect Linde; she misses her /woods/ and the environment she knows better than herself.

The endless horizon may make Tressa think of adventure and infinite possibility, but H’aanit just feels unmoored and exposed.

When her heart has stopped aching as much, H’aanit returns to camp. She has not decided what she will say to Tressa, if anything.

Tressa surprises her by approaching first.

“H’aanit.” Tressa has her hat in her hands and twists it. “I wanted to apologize. I made an assumption about something I didn’t understand and I’m sorry.”

H’aanit blinks and then then nods, once. “Accepted. “ She inclines her head, almost rueful. “I do not normally respond so… strongly to such things.”

Tressa shakes her head. “No, no, it’s my fault.” She smiles, a little shy. “I…wanted to apologize to Linde too, but I wasn’t sure if steak would be…”

H’aanit laughs, surprised, one hand over her mouth. “That’s fine, as long as it’s raw.”

This isn’t anything like home, but maybe it won’t be all bad.

**Author's Note:**

> since my last entry I've moved over a hundred miles and had my life turned sideways twice. 
> 
> this probably comes out in the fic 
> 
> as before, unedited and unrevised.


End file.
